750/1000 Yellow Gold Huguenot Cross - 20x33 mm

Stunning 750/1000 (18K) Yellow Gold Huguenot Cross.

The cross measures 20 x 33 mm without the bail and 20 x 36 mm with the bail.

This delicate, understated cross is perfect for a child or a woman - refined without being showy.

The Huguenot Cross is a Protestant symbol originating in southern France. It closely resembles the Cross of Saint John and that of the Order of the Holy Spirit. Those who wore it were considered beyond reproach in the eyes of the law - even during the persecutions of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Each element of the symbol carries political and spiritual meaning, simultaneously affirming loyalty to the king ("ill-advised") and the state, as well as genuine evangelical faith.

The Huguenot Cross is believed to have been created around 1688, following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, by a goldsmith from Nîmes named Maystre. Louis XIV had banned Protestants from wearing any religious insignia; in an act of defiance, they adopted a fleur-de-lis Maltese Cross for their symbol. As for the dove, it represents the Holy Spirit - an expression of the Christian's relationship with God.

More than a beautiful object, it has become a powerful symbol - not just for Huguenots, but for all Protestants.

Average gold weight: 1.75 grams